﻿242 
  GEOLOGY. 
  

  

  found 
  in 
  large 
  and 
  convenient 
  deposits; 
  all 
  the 
  copperas 
  

   of 
  commerce, 
  and 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  alum, 
  being 
  derived 
  from 
  

   this 
  mineral. 
  

  

  Exposed 
  to 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  atmosphere, 
  it 
  decomposes 
  

   and 
  falls 
  to 
  a 
  black 
  powder. 
  

  

  The 
  brilliant 
  fracture 
  of 
  the 
  nodular 
  varieties, 
  and 
  

   their 
  brassy 
  or 
  golden 
  color, 
  are 
  well 
  calculated 
  to 
  deceive 
  

   the 
  inexperienced, 
  and 
  it 
  has, 
  in 
  consequence, 
  received 
  

   the 
  popular 
  sobriquet 
  of 
  ^'/ooVs 
  gold." 
  

  

  When 
  in 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  Land 
  Office, 
  west 
  of 
  Pearl 
  

   River, 
  many 
  years 
  since, 
  many 
  tracts 
  of 
  the 
  public 
  lands 
  

   were 
  sold 
  on 
  the 
  faith 
  of 
  this 
  mineral; 
  and 
  frequently, 
  

   when 
  specimens 
  brought 
  to 
  the 
  office 
  for 
  exhibition 
  were 
  

   unwrapped, 
  no 
  little 
  surprise 
  was 
  experienced 
  by 
  the 
  

   deluded 
  parties, 
  to 
  find 
  the 
  precious 
  mineral 
  reduced 
  to 
  a 
  

   black 
  powder, 
  and 
  the 
  paper 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  was 
  inclosed 
  cor- 
  

   roded 
  and 
  dropping 
  into 
  fragments 
  from 
  its 
  caustic 
  cha- 
  

   racter. 
  

  

  In 
  June, 
  1852, 
  it 
  was 
  stated, 
  in 
  a 
  paper 
  published 
  in 
  

   Louisiana, 
  on 
  the 
  authority 
  of 
  a 
  letter 
  received 
  there, 
  

  

  " 
  that 
  a 
  Mr. 
  , 
  living 
  on 
  Black 
  Creek, 
  in 
  Marion 
  

  

  Count}^, 
  had 
  found 
  a 
  gold 
  mine 
  where 
  he 
  could 
  get 
  it 
  by 
  

   the 
  cartload, 
  but 
  concealed 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  its 
  locality. 
  

   He 
  was 
  closely 
  watched 
  by 
  numbers 
  of 
  people, 
  but 
  no 
  

   clue 
  had 
  been 
  obtained 
  to 
  guide 
  them 
  to 
  the 
  bed 
  of 
  trea- 
  

   sure. 
  It 
  was 
  further 
  stated, 
  that 
  a 
  company 
  had 
  left 
  

   with 
  the 
  intention 
  of 
  camping 
  out 
  and 
  searching 
  for 
  the 
  

   gold." 
  

  

  Happening 
  to 
  be 
  at 
  Columbia 
  near 
  the 
  supposed 
  local- 
  

   ity 
  two 
  months 
  after, 
  I 
  met 
  with 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  persons 
  

   interested 
  in 
  the 
  discovery. 
  The 
  situation 
  was 
  still 
  con- 
  

   cealed, 
  and 
  supposing, 
  as 
  usual, 
  the 
  mineral 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  

   pyrites, 
  stated 
  my 
  impression, 
  and 
  desired 
  to 
  examine 
  a 
  

   specimen, 
  but 
  none 
  could 
  be 
  procured. 
  

  

  